Aviation Week Op-Ed: The Importance of Modernizing and Maintaining the Nation’s Air Traffic Control Systems
Three challenges facing the U.S. air traffic control system are the subject of this Aviation Week essay co-authored by Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., and Robert L. Sumwalt, executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation & Aerospace Safety. Through the Hunt Library, the Eagle community can log on to ERNIE to freely access the op-ed. Alternatively, subscribers to Aviation Week can log on to the publication’s website to access the essay, which is also provided below.
Commitment Is Critical for U.S. Air Traffic Control
By P. Barry Butler and Robert L. Sumwalt
On June 30, 1956, two airliners collided over the Grand Canyon, claiming the lives of 128 passengers and crew.
The crash shocked the nation.
The aftermath led to reforms, including hiring and training additional air traffic controllers, modernizing the air traffic control system and ensuring adequate funding for these upgrades. In 1958, the FAA was created by the Federal Aviation Act.
Today, we find ourselves with an alarming pattern of close calls involving airliners and sudden air traffic control (ATC) equipment outages.
As they were following the 1956 disaster, our government, aviation officials and other stakeholders and safety advocates are committed to making the needed changes to keep the flying public safe.
We applaud these efforts and the key priorities outlined in the current funding package, as well as independent safety reports, such as the recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative.
Controller Staffing
Each day, air traffic controllers at 313 FAA facilities skillfully guide around 45,000 aircraft throughout the National Airspace System (NAS).
However, as the National Airspace System Safety Review Team found in a 2023 report, a shortage of approximately 3,000 controllers is straining the system and potentially eroding the margins of safety.
Controllers work long hours with little downtime and frequently work overtime. As outlined by a committee on ATC staffing needs for the 2014 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report, such overwork can lead to controller fatigue and burnout.
Fortunately, the FAA is making efforts to improve conditions — such as the signing of Updated Fatigue Rules by the administrator in 2024 — as well as addressing the hiring and training of new controllers.
This includes the Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, which allows graduates of approved university programs to bypass the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and proceed to ATC facilities for on-the-job training. To date, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and six other schools have been approved for the initiative.
Other recommendations to address staffing have also been made. For example, the previously cited Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative suggests that controllers could be shifted to understaffed facilities and that the FAA use incentives for transfers.
System Modernization
A 2024 study by the Government Accountability Office found that 37% of ATC-related systems in the U.S. were ranked as unsustainable and 39% as potentially unsustainable.
The average age of the 21 FAA air traffic en route centers is 61 years, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Some terminal radar approach control facilities are of a similar age.
Meanwhile, the FAA’s 618 airborne radar systems have exceeded their lifespans. The agency also struggles to support aging ATC technology.
Analog radio communications equipment poses problems; replacement parts are scarce and incompatible with modern digital standards. Finding younger workers who can maintain antiqued equipment can pose challenges as seasoned workers retire.
Consistent Funding
Another hurdle impeding the upgrade of our ATC system is inconsistent funding, despite the increasing complexity of airspace.
“The FAA faces several interrelated funding challenges that negatively affect its ability to deliver critical air traffic services,” the National Airspace Safety Review Team wrote in the 2023 report, which notes an obvious but overlooked truth: Underfunding introduces increased risk.
The fiscal 2025 budget reconciliation act just approved provides $12.5 billion to modernize the ATC system.
We commend efforts to provide the necessary support to upgrade our nation’s ATC system. This funding and support of independent recommendations are vital in contributing to the safety of our flying public.
It is also essential that we remain committed to system upgrades once the most urgent concerns are addressed. Consistent maintenance and upgrades to our ATC systems will not only enhance safety but will also pave the way for the emergence of future technology — including uncrewed and autonomous systems — into our national airspace.
P. Barry Butler is the president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Robert L. Sumwalt is executive director of Embry-Riddle’s Boeing Center for Aviation & Aerospace Safety, and he is the former chairman of the NTSB.